Rate of progress of the 1st post-stimulation division of the mitotic cycle by cells of ascitic hepatoma 22A of different ages]

A study was made of the progress rate of cells of the ascitic hepatoma 22A of different age during the iirst mitotic cycle after the stimulation of division. The "ageing" (11-day), terminal (14-day), and "delayed" (4 days older than the terminal stage) ascitic fluids were used. The maximal values of the labeled nuclei index was found to be reached by 9--12 hours (it was mainly due to the transtion of the quiescent to the S-period) and the maximal mitotic index--by 18--21 hours after the inoculation, independently of the tumour age. These results suggest that the duration of both the prereplicative (G1) period and of the whole first mitotic cycle after the stimulation were independent of the time during which the cells of the ascitic hepatoma 22A were at the resting stage or at the very prolonged G1-period.     

Cells with fragmented nuclei in ascites hepatoma 22A and their participation in proliferation]

The number of cells with fragmented nuclei (FN) (mainly, multilobate) increased with aging of ascites hepatoma 22A (AH22A) as follows: 15 +/- 9.3% in the 6-day AH22A, 196 +/- 53% in the 14-day tumor and 453 +/- 51% in the delayed (18-day) AH22A. The basic way of FN formation was amitotic. About 150 and 170% of cells with FN in the 14- and 18-day AH22A were at the reversible resting R1 stage (or at the very long G1 period, more than 4 days). The rest of the cells, 50 and 230%, respectively, quit the mitotic cycle irreversibly and apparently undergo the involution that is faster during passage-stimulated division.     

Circadian rhythm of hepatoma 22a cell division after exposure to liver chalone

Chalone isolated from the cells of the normal rat liver exerts a pronounced inhibitory action on hepatoma 22a cell division during 9 hours after its administration. Then the mitotic activity of hepatoma cells returns to the control level, but after 15 hours it starts to diminish again. The total amount of cells that entered the mitotic cycle during the experiment declined by 30% as compared to the control. Thus, hepatic chalone produces a reversible inhibition of hepatoma cell division in G2 and G1 phases of the mitotic cycle and lessens the fraction of dividing cells over a period of 24 hours.     

Inequality of numbers of cells passing daily from S phase into G2 and from G2 into mitosis for a population of young mouse hepatocytes]

The formulas are proposed which allow to verify the equality of the diurnal streams of cells from one to another phase of mitotic cycle for systems with the diurnal rythm of mitotic index. The unequality of the diurnal stream of cells from S into G2 phase and the diurnal streams from G2 into M phase for hepatocytes of 3-weeks old mice is assumed to be caused by the passage of about 75 percent of cells from G2 phase directly to the resting phase R1. Part of these cells may then return from R1 to G1 phase.     

Concentration and metabolism of cyclic AMP during the early stages of hepatoma 22a growth]

Intracellular levels of cyclic AMP (cAMP), adenylate cyclase, and cAMP-phosphodiesterase activities at lag-period, exponential and stationary growth phases of hepatoma 22a were determined. It was shown that the transition of tumour cells from the lag-period to the exponential phase of growth was accompanied by the two-fold decrease of intracellular cAMP level on account of drastic activation of cAMP phosphodiesterase. Subsequently the cAMP level lowered more slowly until the cells entered the stationary phase of growth. In view of the fact that the adenylate cyclase activity failed to change at different growth phases of hepatoma 22a, it seems very proballe that the rise of cAMP phosphodiesterase activity could be a signal for the exit of tumour cells from the lag-period and their entrance into the mitotic cycle.     

In vitro effects of 2-methoxyestradiol on MCF-12A and MCF-7 cell growth, morphology and mitotic spindle formation

The influence of 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) was investigated on cell growth, morphology and spindle formation in a tumorigenic (MCF-7) and non-tumorigenic (MCF-12A) epithelial breast cell line. Inhibition of cell growth was more pronounced in the MCF-7 cells compared to the MCF-12A cells following 2ME treatment. Dose-dependent studies (10(-5)-10(-9) M) revealed that 10(-6) M 2ME inhibited cell growth by 44% in MCF-12A cells and by 84% in MCF-7 cells (p-value < 0.05). 2ME-treated MCF-7 cells showed abnormal metaphase cells, membrane blebbing, apoptotic cells and disrupted spindle formation. These observations were either absent or less prominent in MCF-12A cells. 2ME had no effect on the length of the cell cycle between S-phase and the time a mitotic peak was reached in either cell line but MCF-7 cells were blocked in mitosis with no statistically significant alterations in the phosphorylation status of Cdc25C. Nevertheless, Cdc2 activity was significantly increased in MCF-7 cells compared to MCF-12A cells (p-value < 0.05). The results indicate that 2ME disrupts mitotic spindle formation and enhances Cdc2 kinase activity, leading to persistence of the spindle checkpoint and thus prolonged metaphase arrest that may result in the induction of apoptosis. The tumorigenic MCF-7 cells were especially sensitive to 2ME treatment compared to the normal MCF-12A cells. Therefore, differential mechanism(s) of growth inhibition are evident between the normal and tumorigenic cells.     

Comparative studies on highly metabolically active histone acetylation.

Histone acetate is hydrolyzed rapidly in logarithmically dividing hepatoma tissue culture cells (Jackson, V., Shires, A., Chalkley, R. and Granner, D.K. (1975) J. Biol. Chem. 250, 4856--4863). The phenomenon has been analyzed further in hepatoma tissue culture cells at various stages of the cell cycle, in stationary phase, and in the presence of actinomycin D. We also investigated the phenomenon in Tetrahymena pyriformis macronuclei, bovine thymocytes, and human foreskin fibroblasts. The data suggest that this highly metabolically active histone acetylation while altered in mitotic cells, is independent of the overall rate of cell division, and is only slightly sensitive to actinomycin D. Finally, we conclude that the same general phenomenon is found in both cancerous and normal cells and is apparently common to cells from various stages of the evolutionary scale.     

A cdc-like autolytic Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant altered in budding site selection is complemented by SPO12, a sporulation gene.

LYT1 is an essential gene for the growth and morphogenesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A detailed characterization of mutants carrying the lyt1-1 allele showed that this mutation was recessive and pleiotropic, affecting both mitotic and meiotic functions. At the nonpermissive temperature of 37 degrees C, lyt1 haploid strains budded at a distal position (instead of an axial one, as in wild-type haploid strains) and underwent autolysis when the buds were almost the size of the mother cells. These mitotic alterations in cell stability and budding topology were dependent on growth and protein synthesis. Autolysis was prevented by inhibiting DNA synthesis (with hydroxyurea) or by blocking the assembly of microtubules (with benomyl), suggesting that loss of cell viability must occur at a fixed mitotic cycle stage after DNA synthesis and mitotic spindle assembly. On the other hand, lyt1-1/lyt1-1 diploids failed to sporulate at both 24 and 37 degrees C. Taking into account these characteristics, the lyt1 mutant could be considered a cdc-like mutant. By genetic transformation of an appropriate lyt1 strain with a genomic library, ligated to the multicopy vector YEp13, we isolated a gene capable of complementing mitotic alterations but not the meiotic defect. This was the sporulation-specific gene SPO12, which is expressed under the control of the locus MAT in meiosis and is also expressed in the mitotic cycle (V. Parkes and L. H. Johnston, Nucleic Acids Res. 20:5617-5623, 1992). A significant level of SPO12 mRNA can be detected when this gene is inserted in a multicopy plasmid.     

ON THE RESTING PERIODS IN THE CELL LIFE CYCLE*

The review is concerned with the transition of cells into a specific physiological state—the resting period—in which they may stay for an indefinite time interval without undergoing division or differentiation but retaining both of these potentials. When stimulated such cells may enter into mitotic cycle, divide and differentiate. No direct correlation between the onset of the differentiated state and the transition of cells through the mitotic cycle has been established. It cannot be excluded that sometimes cells may differentiate directly from the resting period. However, there is a large body of evidence that the entry of cells into mitotic cycle is a necessary prerequisite for subsequent differentiation. The susceptibility of cells to differentiative stimuli is retained during the mitotic cycle. The completion of mitosis itself does not imply that a cell will undergo differentiation; in the absence of adequate stimulus it may pass again into a resting period. According to what is known at present it is suggested that cells may pass into a true resting stage not only after completing mitosis but also after doubling their DNA content. It is also conceivable that a cell may pass into a resting period at different stages of its life cycle. The essential feature of the cell life cycle is the alternation of resting periods and periods of active proliferation. This general principle of organization provides conditions necessary for population-size control, cell differentiation, interaction of a given population with other systems, and the reactions of cells to a changing environment.     

The dependence of the cytokinetic effects of alkylating antitumor preparations on the phase of the hepatocyte cell cycle in regenerating liver]

Effects of alkylating antitumor drugs on resting (G0 phase of cell cycle) and proliferating (G1, S, G2 and M phases) hepatocytes were studied in regenerating mouse liver. Cell cycle kinetics (fraction of labeled mitoses, labeling and mitotic indices) were determined by 3H-thymidine autoradiography. Dipin and fotrin as a DNA-damaging agents attack mainly resting (G0) and proliferating (G1) cells. Effect of the damage results in the inhibition of DNA synthesis and G2 phase arrest in the following mitotic cycle. An alkylating drug phopurin as well as ara-C both suppress the mitotic progression in proliferating hepatocytes and do not influence the resting cells.     

Effect of two aliphatic aldehydes, methylglyoxal and 4-hydroxypentenal, on the growth of Yoshida ascites hepatoma AH-130

The influence of a ketoaldehyde, methylglyoxal (MG), and a hydroxyalkenal, 4-hydroxypentenal (HPE), on the growth of a highly-deviated tumour has been investigated. MG and HPE, administered intraperitoneally, strongly depressed in rats the proliferative activity of the Yoshida ascites hepatoma AH-130, reducing its mitotic and labelling indices as well as the proportion of cycling cells (growth fraction). Monitoring the effects on the cell cycle by the labelled mitoses method showed that the percentage of labelled mitoses was markedly lowered after either aldehyde, which is indicative for a blocking effect in the S phase. In addition, the mean cell cycle time was slightly prolonged by MG, probably due to accumulation of cells in G1, whereas HPE delayed the first mitotic peak and increased the mean DNA synthetic period without modifying the overall cycle time. The effects of HPE on the cell cycle were prevented by pretreatment with polyamines. Repeated doses of MG significantly increased the fraction of tumour-bearing rats surviving at 90 days (‘indefinite’ survivors) as well as the survival time of those which succumbed, implying that the carcinostatic effect of MG persisted over several cell cycles. By contrast, HPE did not significantly modify the survival of AH-130-bearing rats, suggesting that its influence on tumour growth was rapidly reversible.     

Characterization of cell lines carrying self-replicating hepatitis C virus RNAs

Subgenomic selectable RNAs of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) have recently been shown to self-replicate to high levels in the human hepatoma cell line Huh-7 (V. Lohmann, F. K?rner, J. O. Koch, U. Herian, L. Theilmann, and R. Bartenschlager, Science 285:110-113, 1999). Taking advantage of this cell culture system that allows analyses of the interplay between HCV replication and the host cell, in this study we characterized two replicon-harboring cell lines that have been cultivated for more than 1 year. During this time, we observed no signs of cytopathogenicity such as reduction of growth rates or ultrastructural changes. High levels of HCV RNAs were preserved in cells passaged under continuous selection. When selective pressure was omitted replicon levels dropped, but depending on culture conditions the RNAs persisted for more than 10 months. A tight coupling of the amounts of HCV RNA and proteins to host cell growth was observed. Highest levels were found in exponentially growing cells, followed by a sharp decline in resting cells, suggesting that cellular factors required for RNA replication and/or translation vary in abundance and become limiting in resting cells. Studies of polyprotein processing revealed rapid cleavages at the NS3/4A and NS5A/B sites resulting in a rather stable NS4AB5A precursor that was processed slowly into individual products. Half-lives (t(1/2)s) of mature proteins ranged from 10 to 16 h, with the exception of the hyperphosphorylated form of NS5A, which was less stable (t(1/2), approximately 7 h). Results of immunoelectron microscopy revealed an association of the majority of viral proteins with membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum, suggesting that this is the site of RNA replication. In summary, replicon-bearing cells are a good model for viral persistence, and they allow the study of various aspects of the HCV life cycle.     

Influence of the existence of a resting state on the decay of synchronization in cell culture

General relationships between the distribution of cell doubling times and the growth pattern of an initially synchronized cell population are applied to the model proposed by Smith and Martin (1973) in which the mitotic cycle or "B" phase is preceded by a random-exit resting "A" state. Results show that culture synchronization decays so rapidly as to be virtually unobservable unless the time spent by a cell in the B phase is at least equal to that spent in the A state. If synchronization persists over several mitotic cycles, the growth pattern is determined to a much greater extent by variation in the duration of the B phase than by the probability of exit from the A state. Accordingly the growth pattern of a cell population, like the doubling time distribution which governs the pattern, is of limited usefulness in detecting the existence of a resting state.     

Association of MAD2 expression with mitotic checkpoint competence in hepatoma cells

Chromosomal instability (CIN) refers to high rates of chromosomal gains and losses and is a major cause of genomic instability of cells. It is thought that CIN caused by loss of mitotic checkpoint contributes to carcinogenesis. In this study, we evaluated the competence of mitotic checkpoint in hepatoma cells and investigated the cause of mitotic checkpoint defects. We found that 6 (54.5%) of the 11 hepatoma cell lines were defective in mitotic checkpoint control as monitored by mitotic indices and flow-cytometric analysis after treatment with microtubule toxins. Interestingly, all 6 hepatoma cell lines with defective mitotic checkpoint showed significant underexpression of mitotic arrest deficient 2 (MAD2), a key mitotic checkpoint protein. The level of MAD2 underexpression was significantly associated with defective mitotic checkpoint response (p<0.001). In addition, no mutations were found in the coding sequences of MAD2 in all 11 hepatoma cell lines. Our findings suggest that MAD2 deficiency may cause a mitotic checkpoint defect in hepatoma cells.     

Selection of mitotic Chinese hamster ovary cells from microcarriers. Cell cycle-dependent induction of mutation by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine and ethyl methanesulfonate

Large quantities of mitotic cells may be collected by mitotic detachment from a population of Chinese hamster ovary cells growing on positively charged dextran microcarriers in suspension culture. Exponentially growing cells are treated for 2.5 h with colcemid and mitotic cells are detached from the microcarriers by increasing the stirring speed. A yield of 4-6% of the total population is obtained and, of the cells collected, 85-95% are arrested in metaphase. Using this means to synchronize cells we have determined the cell cycle dependence of the toxic and mutagenic effects of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BUdR) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Mutation was measured at two independent loci: resistance to 6-thioguanine and resistance to ouabain. Both mutagens were more toxic during S phase as compared to G1 or G2 or mitosis. BUdR induced significant mutation only during S phase. The maximum induction of 6-thioguanine resistance was observed in cultures treated 10 h after plating of mitotic cells (2 h into S phase), while the maximum induction of ouabain resistance was observed in cultures treated 10-12 h after plating of mitotic cells (2-4 h into S phase). EMS induced significant mutation at all points in the cell cycle. Mutation induction reached a minimum during S phase but the magnitude of difference between any two points in the cell cycle was found to be less than two-fold.     

Effect of 12-hydroxy-9(Z)-dodecenoic acid on growth and cell division in pea roots

It is known that potential bioregulators may be present among lipoxygenase oxidation products. A possibility of mitotic cycle regulation by 12-hydroxy-9(Z)-dodecenic acid (12-HDA) and also its influence on the growing function (seed germination, root and epicotyl growth) have been studied. It has been determined that 12-HDA activity is directed to the strengthening of growing function which allowed to suppose that oxylipin is capable of regulating cell division. 12-HDA participation in the mitotic cycle regulation were determined by the originally developed test system using simultaneously light microscopy. The concentration and temporal dependencies of cell division were studied under the influence of 12-HDA. The raise of mitosis (up to 17.5 times) has been registered in comparison with the control variant by the least concentration of 12-HDA (10(-9) M) up to the 4th h of influence, confirming oxypilin participation in mitotic cycle regulation.     

An absolute requirement for STAT4 and a role for IFN-gamma as an amplifying factor in IL-12 induction of the functional IL-18 receptor complex

IL-12 and IL-18 are both proinflammatory cytokines that contribute to promoting Th1 development and IFN-gamma expression. However, neither IL-12R nor IL-18R is expressed as a functional complex on most resting T cells. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of an IL-18R complex in T cells. Resting T cells expressed IL-18Ralpha chains but did not exhibit IL-18 binding sites as detected by incubation with rIL-18 followed by anti-IL-18 Ab, suggesting a lack of IL-18Rbeta expression in resting T cells. Although they also failed to express IL-12R, stimulation with anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 generated IL-12R. Exposure of these cells to IL-12 led not only to up-regulation of IL-18Ralpha expression but also to induction of IL-18R binding sites on both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells concomitant with IL-18Rbeta mRNA expression. The IL-18 binding site represented a functional IL-18R complex capable of exhibiting IL-18 responsiveness. IL-12 induction of an IL-18R complex and IL-18Rbeta mRNA expression was not observed in STAT4-deficient (STAT4(-/-)) T cells and was substantially decreased in IFN-gamma(-/-) T cells. However, the failure of STAT4(-/-) T cells to induce an IL-18R complex was not corrected by IFN-gamma. These results indicate that STAT4 and IFN-gamma play an indispensable role and a role as an amplifying factor, respectively, in IL-12 induction of the functional IL-18R complex.     

Distinctive Uptake of Neutral Red by Mitotic Cancer Cells

Neutral red stains both normal and cancer mitotic cells, but uptake by living mitotic cancer cells is distinctly higher than in normal cells. This new approach to cancer cell identification is demonstrated in 4 established tumorigenic cancer cell lines: human skin epidermoid carcinoma A431, mouse Cloudman malignant melanoma, human oral epidermoid carcinoma and rat hepatoma. Human Chang liver cells served as normal controls. With epidermal growth factor (EGF) prepulse, neutral red uptake is dramatically enhanced. The possibility of a causal relationship with M-phase specific phosphorylation is discussed.     

Luxol Fast Scarlet C as a Stain for Phase-Contrast Microscopy

Neutral red stains both normal and cancer mitotic cells, but uptake by living mitotic cancer cells is distinctly higher than in normal cells. This new approach to cancer cell identification is demonstrated in 4 established tumorigenic cancer cell lines: human skin epidermoid carcinoma A431, mouse Cloudman malignant melanoma, human oral epidermoid carcinoma and rat hepatoma. Human Chang liver cells served as normal controls. With epidermal growth factor (EGF) prepulse, neutral red uptake is dramatically enhanced. The possibility of a causal relationship with M-phase specific phosphorylation is discussed.